The Witch's Curse
by sesshbaby
Summary: Raffle prize for Midian; hope you like it! AU. Prince Sesshomaru is cursed to remain in a dogs form unless he can find a human to meet the mysterious conditions set by the witch. Will he be able to do it before he must remain with the witch forever? Based on the folktale: East of the Sun, West of the Moon
1. Chapter 1

Prince Sesshomaru mentally groaned to himself as he knelt down and touched the wolf tracks he had been following. They had led him all over the damned forest, then just up and vanished. It just didn't make any sense… Suddenly he heard a twig snap from behind him. Whirling around, he came face to face with a figure emerging suddenly from the trees, startling Sesshomaru- not that he would ever admit it, of course.

"My, what a handsome prince we have here," a strange young woman purred. He became strangely unsettled when he noticed the color of her eyes; an eerie shade of ruby red that gazed over his form lustily.

She wore a dark red dress that hung elegantly off the shoulders. The material of the dress was fine, meaning that her family must be a wealthy one. A golden cord was tied around the waist, revealing a nicely curved figure. Long raven hair spilt over her shoulders, barely covering the pale skin that the dress did not. Beautiful though she may be, Sesshomaru could tell there was something very dangerous about this woman. '_Perhaps she is a demon,_' he thought warily to himself. '_She has the eyes of one.'_

"You are trespassing on private grounds" he said imperiously, adjusting his grip on his bow, should he have to use it. "Leave now or I will not hesitate to use force."

"Oh, tut" She said smiling arrogantly. "Didn't they ever teach you manners in that castle of yours?" she reprimanded. She slowly made her way towards him, her gait made her seem as though she were dancing, and began circling around him- carefully eyeing him up and down. She nodded and smiled, as though she had just made a decision.

"Yes, you'll make a lovely husband," she smiled coyly, lifting up a small elegant hand to run her finger along his jaw line.

"What makes you think that this Sesshomaru would marry the likes of you?" he said, slapping her hand away with a sneer. The young woman glared at him for a fraction of a second before giving a slow sultry smile.

"My dear, you seem to think that you have a choice in the matter," she said, her ruby eyes beginning to glow menacingly. "While it is rather endearing, I have to inform you that you are _mine. _I have waited far too long to find a suitable husband and you will not escape me._"_

Sesshomaru's eyes widened in alarm as he suddenly felt waves of power crash over him. It seemed to sweep over and into his entire being, filling him with alien feelings of desire for the woman that did not belong to him. This woman was no demon she was, "a sorceress!" he spat, trying to reach for an arrow from his quiver. Another powerful wave of energy overtakes him. He dropped his bow with shaking hands and looked at the woman with heated eyes, though this time it is no longer contempt, but longing instead. The young woman grinned; her spell is complete.

"Come here, my love, let me taste you." She says, sweeping her arms out in an open invitation. Sesshomaru stepped forward dazedly, and pulled her into an embrace. His lips crashed onto her hers. He didn't know why he had struggled so much in the first place. This beautiful young lady would make a perfect queen…

"Tell me," he said rather hazily. "What is the name of my future bride?" In his state of confusion he didn't process the dark smile that flitted across her face.

"Kagura, my sweet, I am known as Kagura."

"Kagura…" he murmured bewildered. Something about that name struck a chord within him somewhere in the recesses of his mind. Dimly, he seemed to recall a story he heard as a child. One about a witch that rode on the wind, reigning death and destruction on whatever kingdom she visited. Surely such a lovely woman was not responsible for such heinous acts…

She pulled him in for another kiss; a shocking sensation swept through him, the pain momentarily clearing up some of the fog from his mind.

Kagura screamed in agony as she felt a sharp pain rip into her back. She pulled back to see the prince grasping a bloodied knife in his hand. How had he escaped her spell?!

"You will pay for this!" she seethed. Quickly she began gathering her power around her like a cloak, hissing her incantations as she weaved one of the most powerful curses at her disposal. The mortal would suffer for spilling the blood of one such as her!

Fear spread through him as his body began convulsing under her invisible magic forced him on his knees and hands. Sesshomaru looked and his shaky hands and discovered, to his horror, that silver fur lined his skin. What was this witch doing to him?

He didn't get a chance to voice his questions. He doubled over in pain as he felt his bones shifting and snapping to rearrange themselves. The feeling of his face being elongated sent him in a panic. He tried to voice his agony, only to hear the sound of mournful howling instead.

"You will remain the useless dog that you are unless you can find someone to meet the conditions of the spell." She sneered down at the silver furred mongrel before her. He was fairly large for a dog, perhaps the size of a small bear, its eyes were as crimson as her own and its mouth was peeled back in terrifying snarl. She laughed haughtily at her handiwork; no human alive would go near him as it was. "If you don't fulfill the conditions of this spell with in fifty years you will be mine!"

Sesshomaru lunged at her only to be thrown backwards and slammed into a tree with her damned magic. He watched helplessly as she took to the wind and left him to his own devices. He couldn't think. The spell had cast a fog over his mind. It made his mind more animalistic; the sounds of the forest called to him. His human half struggled to keep some semblance of control over his mind, but the call of the hunt was strong. Slowly, almost frustratingly so, he realized that the knowledge of the condition of his release had been imprinted in his mind. He would dwell on that later…now was the time to feast.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: please dont hurt me! I know I've been terrible about updating lately, but honestly I havent really had the time. I promise I'll update when I can, but they most likely be sporadic.

_The first condition: You must find a girl to live with you willingly._

"Evil spirits, be gone!" shouted Kagome's grandfather as he stuck a sutra on her mother's forehead. Kagome rushed over with a rag soaked in herbal infused water, ignoring her grandfather-as he continued to try to exorcise the evil spirits that supposedly resided within her mother, and set the damp cloth on her mother's forehead.

"Grandpa, could you go and check on Souta, please?" Kagome begged, trying to keep the exasperation from her voice. He paused long enough to draw some salt from a pouch in his belt. He threw it in the air over her mother's unconscious form and walked off. She rolled her eyes and smiled thinly down at her mother.

"He's just as crazy as always."

Her face puckered in worry as she, once more gazed down at her mother's face. A thin sheen of sweat glistened on her skin. She would feel a lot better if she knew what to do. She'd tried every remedy her mother had ever taught her, to no avail. Kagome didn't even know what had caused the illness in the first place. One minute her mother had been laughing and joking with them, the next she was falling on the ground unconscious and had remained unconscious. Today would mark the third day.

Making sure the damp cloth wouldn't slip from her mother's forehead and wiping some of the salt from her clothing, Kagome resumed flipping through the small booklet she had been searching through. It was a small encyclopedia of sorts; filled with information about the indigenous plants, whether it be for healing purposes or for feeding a hungry family.

She hoped to find something that might be able to heal her mother, or at least ease the terrible fever she had come down with. The intensity of that fever was what worried her the most. She'd seen what damage it could do to the mind if it wasn't controlled properly. Those poor souls were never the same again, and she'd be damned if she let that happen to her mother.

She gave a small cry of joy when she came across a small passage that described a small purple flower, said to calm even the worst of an illness. Her elation turned to dread as she realized that, that particular flower- the Myoyaku- was rare and nearly impossible to find. Kagome flipped through the book desperately trying to find a surer way of helping her mother. It was no use though, she had tried everything else.

Despair swamped her as she realized that even if were to risk leaving her mother and searching for the Myoyaku, there was no certainty that it heal her mother. She gazed down at her mother, noting the pained expression on her unconscious form. Guilt and shame eclipsed the despair as she realized that her mother wouldn't hesitate to set out and look for that impossible little flower. Her mother would've marched right out of the house and search every nook and cranny for it if there was even the slimmest chance that she'd be able to help.

Kagome's face hardened in resolve, she set about packing enough supplies for a few days. She was going to find that damn flower if it killed her! She was so busy slamming supplies into her pack that she didn't notice her grandfather come up behind her.

"You doing an early spring cleaning or are you planning on going somewhere?"

"Grandfather!" Kagome exclaimed putting a hand over her rapidly beating heart. "I was going to leave," she announced once she had calmed down a bit. "There is a plant that I think might help momma but it might take me sometime to find it."

"I see," he said stroking his beard thoughtfully. She noticed the hard glint in his eye and panicked.

"Grandfather, please don't try to stop me! This might be the only chance I have to make momma better and I'm going with or without your blessing."

"I have no doubt about that," he said with a small smile. "You are your mother's daughter after all." He smiled at the look of surprise on her face and grinned at her before leaning over to pack a few things in her pack as well. Kagome smiled and hugged him tightly.

It wasn't long before Kagome had everything she needed together. She hadn't packed much: a change of clothes, some basic healing supplies and one solitary dagger. She wouldn't take any food with her…her family had a hard time getting enough to eat without her taking it away, besides, she knew how to hunt and could get whatever else she needed on her own.

She walked over to her mother and gently laid a hand on her sweaty brow. "Don't worry, momma, I'll be back soon," she promised. She leaned down a planted a kiss on her mother's forehead, feeling once again just how intense her fever was. She looked up to smile reassuringly at her grandfather; she was surprised when she saw tears in his eyes. "Grandpa! I'll be back with the plant soon! You don't have to worry so much."

"It's not that…" he sniffed quietly. "You are the sweetest child I have ever been blessed to know!" he sobbed dramatically. Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes at his antics. It would seem that he was getting even sillier instead of wiser as the years went on.

She hugged him tightly, asking him to tell Souta goodbye for her, before leaving their small hut. She glanced back once, noticing that her grandfather still stood in the doorway, watching her with an expression that could only be described as admiration. Kagome laughed quietly to herself and was on her way.

The silver haired dog thrust its nose in the rich and damp earth, sniffing eagerly for his quarry. The scent of fear had thickened considerably and only added to the excitement of the hunt. He sneezed softly once he was sure he had the scent completely embedded in his mind. He took off in an easy trot, gradually gaining speed the closer he got to his prize.

It had been a while since he had been allowed to hunt by more tame side. The humane side of him _hated_ losing control and always sought to lock his more bestial half away. The call of the hunt always won though. The need for blood, the thirst and hunger for it, was just too great to ignore for too long.

He paused before a particularly large thicket. It was there. He could feel it. He could hear the blood pounding through its tiny heart; hear its breath, raspy from desperation. He took a step closer, intent on claiming his prize, when he heard the sound of a twig snapping.

Cocking his ears, he prepared give chase. Instead of running, the boar charged at him. Unprepared for the sudden onslaught, Sesshomaru dodged out of the way a second too late. He growled in anger and in pain as one of the boars tusk tore into his side. He limped to face the boar quickly, ignoring the blood that dripped from the jagged cut on his side and onto the forest floor. He caught site of the boar preparing to charge again and snarled in warning.

The boar stamped the earth with his cloven feet before rushing the silver dog. Sesshomaru met the boars challenge head on, ignoring the throbbing pain in his side. The boar must not have expected it, because he hesitated for a fraction of a second. That was all Sesshomaru needed.

He lunged at the boar's neck, sinking his sharp fangs into the animal's tough skin. The beast squealed in agony as it bucked, desperately trying to shake the silver dog from him. The boar's tusk stabbed into Sesshomaru's chest repeatedly and painfully as he struggled for his life, but Sesshomaru held on to his prize.

Sesshomaru released the lifeless body as it finally stopped struggling. He howled his victory to heavens and to all those who were close enough to hear. The prince of the hunt was, once again, victorious. He paid no heed to the dripping wounds covering his side and his chest as he began to feast on his kill.

It was a while before he finished with his meal. The blood had sated his more bestial side; he was still stuck in this infernal form, but the lust for blood had vanished long enough for his human half to take control of his body. He took one look at the mangled carcass before him and turned in disgust, feeling sick and degraded for what he had to do for a meal. The sudden movement pulled at his wounds, making him growl with pain. After hesitating for a moment, he snorted in disgust and began to clean his wounds with his tongue.

Prince of the west indeed. Every simple task he had to do only served to remind him of his new form and reminded him of all that he lost thanks to that damn witch. He needed to break this curse so that he could strangle her with his own hands. The only problem was that he didn't have the means to break the curse. The witch had made sure of that.

He continued to clean his wounds, though they were already healing; one of the side effects of the curse. So far any wound he had, no matter how serious, had healed itself in a matter of hours. Death could not touch him now and, as far as he knew, neither could time. He had tracked the passage of time carefully since that fated day with the sorceress. Nearly fifty years had passed and he hadn't aged a bit. He supposed it was all for the best. It ensured the he would one day, no matter how long it took; he would be able to enact his revenge.

The sudden snapping of a twig brought his head up swiftly; he must have been deep in thought if something had been able to sneak up on him so easily. He watched in rapt fascination as a young girl stumbled into his clearing.

She was a slight little thing, but she was pretty enough. She had long ebony hair that billowed in the wind. Her eyes were a startling shade of blue that revealed a certain light of innocence about here. Hope swelled in him as he waited with bated breath for her to notice him.

Finally her eyes settled on him. The soft smile that had been on her face instantly vanished, her bright blue eyes shone with fear as her entire body stiffened. She didn't say anything; she just stood there, watching him with wary eyes. Sesshomaru grumbled softly in disappointment as he arose to walk away from the girl before she started to scream. He should have known she would be no different from the others.

"Wait, please!" he heard her cry softly. This was new. Hope renewed he turned look her in the eye, being careful not to move to quickly lest he startle her.

He watched as she took in a deep breath and slowly made her way over to him. She spoke softly as she did, calmly and quietly; as though trying to keep a wild animal calm.

"You're hurt," she murmured worriedly. "I just want to make sure your alright…please don't bite my hand off." She stuck her hand out slowly, as one would to a strange dog. 'I suppose that is what I am,' he thought crossly, as he took a reluctant sniff of her hand like a common mutt would do. At least she smelled well enough, a little like cherry blossoms and rain. For some reason, the scent garnered the attention of his more bestial half as well. Stiffening in alarm Sesshomaru somewhat flinched away from the girls hand, he would not have this girl's blood on his hands!

He grew confused when the beast did nothing more than watch the girl curiously. This was not normal behavior. Usually his other half only cared for bloodshed, yet here it was, wanting to know more about the girl in front of him. Perhaps she was the one that could help him after all. He focused on her once more, and noticed how rigidly she stood in front of him, her arm still stretched out in front of her. Not wishing to scare her off, he gave her hand a tentative lick, hoping that if he gained her trust she would stay.

He nearly smirked when her whole body sagged with relief, but he was all too familiar with how humans reacted to his teeth. Too many times had his sensitive ears been submitted to the screams and shrieks of villagers. His attention shifted back to the girl when he realized that she had been babbling nervously the whole time she shifted through her satchel for whatever it was she was looking for.

"It's been nearly a week now," she said gently. Her voice was soft, like that of a bell. It was nice to listen to. "I wonder how momma is doing. She's been so sick. That's why I'm out here you know." She paused as she pulled out a small container that smelled of medicine. She uncorked the tiny jar and scooped up some of the salve in her dainty hand and proceeded to apply it to the many, now smaller, wounds.

"I hope I can find the right medicine for her. I don't think I'd be able to handle it if she were gone." Sesshomaru glanced back at her when he smelled the saltiness of tears. She seemed to notice him watching her and forced a smile on her face. 'Silly girl,' he thought to himself.

"You know," she began. "For all the blood you have on you, these cuts aren't nearly as serious as I thought they would be. Well, that just makes you one lucky duck doesn't it?" She grinned at him. "I wonder what kind of dog you are though. I've never seen one with your eye coloring before, nor these facial markings. You're also probably the largest dog I've ever seen. Almost the size of a bear!" she remarked astonished. The beast within puffed with pride at the compliment. "And such pretty fur too. I can only imagine how much prettier it would be clean, but I suppose that wasn't exactly what your priority was at the moment was it? Well, I've done all I can do!" she said giving his head a soft pat. "I guess I had better be off then. Be careful you don't get yourself in such bad condition from now on, alright?" she said as she stood and dusted herself off.

His beast suddenly went into such a panic that it sent him on edge as well. The girl couldn't leave, she just couldn't! He quickly strode in front of her and blocked her path.

"I will heal your mother." Sesshomaru spoke for the first time in a long while. Though his voice was rougher and had a more animalistic quality to it, almost as if he were growling the words out. Each word was a struggle to get out as well; it almost pained him to use human words.

"Wh-what? Did you just-?" she stuttered as she fell to her knees on the earth beneath her. Confusion, hope, and the slightest bit of fear were obvious in her eyes.

"I will heal your mother," he repeated, slightly annoyed with having to repeat himself. "If you promise something in return."

"You can do that?" The raw hope in her voice was almost painful to listen to. "But how?" she questioned with wide eyes.

"I…have power." The words were getting harder and harder to form, but he was sure he would be able to deliver what he promised. The witches curse had given him 'some' power after all. "Deal?" he questioned with a slight growl.

"What would you have me do?" Her voice had almost died down to a whisper, though her shoulders were rigged and her jaw determined. She was afraid, but he had no doubt she would do whatever he asked, at least for the sake of her mother.

"You must… come live with me. Then your mother will be made better… and your family will live in wealth… They will…want for…nothing." His voice slowly rumbled out. "Deal?" he asked more urgently.

She stared at him, mouth slightly parted in wonder. "You promise you will keep your word if I come to live with you?" she asked seriously, still upon her knees. Knowing he was nearing his limit, he merely nodded in agreement. She fell silent with contemplation, silently staring at the ground before her as she did so.

After a long nerve wracking moment, she finally looked up at him. "You have my word that I will live with you and that I won't try to run away." She said determinedly. It was more than Sesshomaru had ever hoped for. Not only had the girl agreed, but she had also promised not to try and escape him as well! He was that much closer breaking the curse.

He kneeled down before her as he spoke up once more. "You…ride…show…way."

He almost broke when she hesitated once more but was gratified to see her gain the courage to hop on his back. She was careful to place her legs in a way that would not aggravate his wounds and grabbed on to the fur of his neck securely, but not overly tight.

He prayed vehemently to any gods that might me listening that she would be the one to help him.

"Thank you," The girl said once he had started off in the direction she pointed to. "Thank you for helping me." Her grip on fur tightened imperceptibly as he once more smelt her salty tears. He hoped she wasn't having second thoughts… "My name is Kagome, by the way. I hope we can grow to be friends, because it looks as though you're stuck with me for a while."

"Friends." He nodded after a moment of quiet deliberation. He could not speak to her of the spell or it's conditions, but if he could gain her trust then he had no doubt her help would be invaluable to him.


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for not updating in so long. I've just recently gotten over a bout of depression, but I'm back and I'm better! ^.^

Also some people commented that this story is very similar to beauty and the beast, and in a way it is, but it also has some unique qualities on it's own as well. That being said I hope you guys continue to enjoy my story. please review!

They weaved in and out of the trees swiftly as they neared Kagome's home. So swiftly, that the trees were almost a blur. Kagome was almost positive that some kind of magic was involved; how else could they be moving so fast? The journey that had taken her a little over a week was only taking this dog a matter of hours.

_I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at his speed,_ Kagome thought wryly. _I did, after all, have a conversation with him. Besides that he's already healed himself when he was positively covered in blood not too long ago,_ she thought as she sank her fingers into his silken fur to touch the perfectly smooth skin that had been marred and bleeding before and if he could heal himself so quickly then surely he could heal her mother as well.

She had no idea what to make of this animal. Despite his ferocious looks he hadn't done anything to frighten or hurt her so far. She thanked the kami profusely that the only thing that he had asked of her had been companionship. For a moment, as he was staring down his snout at her, she had thought he was going to demand that she be his next meal.

She wondered, not for the first time, what exactly he was. Her grandfather had often told her stories of man-eating demons and terrible enchantments, but she had always thought of them as just that-stories. Not once in her life had she had she thought that magic would be real and yet she found herself riding on the back of a talking dog. It made her wonder if the other tales she had heard as a child had any truth to them. She thought to ask him, but was startled to notice they had already arrived at her family's home. She looked down to find the dog eyeing her curiously, as if saying 'what are you waiting for, you silly girl?' She gave a nervous smile before sliding off his back. There was no telling how her grandfather would react to him.

"Uh," she tried to start before she realized that she never actually learned whether or not he had a name.

"Sesshomaru," the great silver dog replied in that voice that was enough to make any man tremble. She gathered her courage and gave him a kind smile; he was helping her after all.

"Well, I have a sort of favor to ask of you before we go in." Sesshomaru nodded his head for her to continue. "My grandfather is very superstitious and well he might try something on you. He's quite harmless, I promise you, but I'm hoping you could tolerate him while we are here."

"No harm will come to him," he promised bowing his head. Kagome smiled gratefully at him before leading him inside the small hut.

Standing in the doorway, she spotted her grandfather on the far side of the hut, preparing herbs for drying and storage. Her brother sat with her mother's head in his lap as he tried to get a little broth down her throat. Kagome nearly burst into tears at the sight of her mother. Her skin was so pale it was almost translucent and she had lost so much weight that her bones stuck out, making her look more like a living skeleton than a human being. Would Sesshomaru be _able_ to fix her, even with magic, if she was this ill?

She heard a quiet woof behind her and felt Sesshomaru softly nudge her inside with his nose. She looked back at him and gave him a watery smile and moved aside to let him in. Her grandfather must have heard them because he turned abruptly.

"Kagome! I knew you'd, agh! Demon!" he squawked as he reached for the bowl of salt. "Be gone!" he shouted as he threw a generous handful at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru merely narrowed his crimson eyes at the old man and tilted his head toward Kagome as if saying: 'are you going to do anything about this?'

Kagome swiftly ran over to her grandfather and confiscated his beloved bowl of salt. "Grandfather, this is Sesshomaru. He promised to heal momma! He's not going to hurt anybody so please behave." She flinched slightly when he turned his glare from Sesshomaru to herself.

"Are you under a spell? Is he controlling you? What did you promise in return for this 'help'?" he scorned going to stand protectively in front of her mother.

"He isn't here to hurt anybody." Kagome repeated firmly, ignoring his questions for now. "I would already be dead if that was all that he wanted. He's here to make momma better. Do you really want lose her just because you don't have trust in him or me?" Kagome knew that it was a low blow, but she needed him to see that Sesshomaru really did mean to help. She huffed a sigh of relief when her grandfather's shoulders sagged with shame. He sent a warning glare in Sesshomaru's direction before grudgingly moving out of the way.

Sesshomaru approached the mother slowly, being careful not make any surprising movements lest the old man decide to change his mind about attempting to vanquish him. Not that he could, but his more animalistic side wouldn't take too kindly to another attack on his person and he didn't think Kagome would forgive him for that no matter what his excuse maybe.

The first thing that hit his senses, as he stood by her side, was the scent of death. This woman was merely a hairs' breadth away from the netherworld. The second thing he noticed was the small boy hugging her to his body protectively. Though the scent of fear was prominent, the young one did good job of hiding it. Sesshomaru had to pay a small amount of respect to the boy. Even grown men had been known to run at the mere sight of him, yet here he was- holding his ground for the sake of his mother. How like Kagome he was.

"Move," he ordered, obviously startling the poor thing.

The boy hesitated; Sesshomaru noticed the steely look entering his eyes. For a moment Sesshomaru had thought the boy would fight him on this. "Promise me," he started, only the slightest of trembles evident in his tiny voice. "Promise you won't hurt my momma."

"I swear it," Sesshomaru said bowing his head, the seed of respect growing with admiration as well. The boy stared at him, a calculating look on his face-more than likely wondering if he should trust the word of a monster.

"I'll trust you," he finally said. Then, as gently as could be, laid his mothers head down on the floor and quickly retreated to Kagome's side, where she put a reassuring arm around his shoulders. Such a protective bunch they were.

Sesshomaru bent his head down, taking in her image for the first time. As ill as she was, Sesshomaru was still able to discern how beautiful the woman was. She might not have been as eye-catching as the woman of his court had been but there was a certain something in her face that held one's attention. He glanced at Kagome from the corner of his eye. She would grow to become a beauty as well, given some time.

Forcing himself to focus on the task at hand, he pressed his nose against the woman's forehead-ignoring the uncomfortable heat that was beginning to seep into his nose. Gathering the power of his own healing ability, he began to force it, little by little, into the slight woman.

She squirmed weakly, obviously uncomfortable with the foreign energy entering her body, Sesshomaru pressed more firmly against her- holding her in place. Contact could not be broken or else the woman would fall dead completely. She whimpered silently but otherwise remained still.

Concerned at her mother's discomfort, Kagome took a step forward. She stopped when Sesshomaru gave a warning growl. She barely had time to notice that the frighteningly pale pallor of her skin was receding before her grandfather tried to angrily make his way towards Sesshomaru.

"No," she said, grabbing his arm. "Look, she is already getting better." Her grandfather scowled at her but remained quiet and at her side.

After what seemed like an eternity, Sesshomaru finally stepped away from her mother. Kagome took a hesitant step forward. When Sesshomaru did nothing, she continued forward with more confidence. Seemingly taking the hint from Kagome's movement, both Souta and her grandpa moved forward to surround her mother.

Kneeling by her side, Kagome was surprised to see that her mother was already staring at them. The glassy look was gone from her eyes as was the confused haze brought on by the fever. Her skin had a healthy glow about it and her cheeks were no longer red.

"Ka…gome," her mother whispered tiredly, yet the brightness of her smile rivaled that of the sun. Then it hit Kagome. Her mother was well….She wasn't going to die.

As soon as the first tear trickled down her cheek, Kagome found that she could not hold them back. They kept coming and coming. Trying to salvage her pride, as well as seeking some comfort Kagome threw her arms around her mother, being careful not to jostle her too much. Almost immediately, she felt her younger brother join the embrace followed by her grandfather.

"It's alright," her mother cooed quietly, embracing them with weak arms. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise."

Sesshomaru watched on as they continued their heart-felt embrace, a touch of guilt on his mind. He felt reluctant about taking the girl now. Her family obviously loved each other very much, but no. He was too selfish to entertain the thought of leaving her here for too long and far too envious. He wanted to know how it felt to be loved again or at least know the kindness of others again. He had gone far too long hearing the screams and cries of people as they looked upon his face. The soul could only endure so much hate before it took its toll.

He looked away from the group sighing sorrowfully. It was time to move on to the second part of his promise then he would take the girl. He loathed to admit to anybody-even himself- that he was jealous of mere peasants.

He trotted over to a sack of rice, ignoring the elder he squawked at him to leave their food alone. The sack was open and nearly empty. They wouldn't have to worry about their meager supplies for long. Leaning forward, he breathed some of his powers into the sack, willing the rice to transform and to multiply. He stood back as gold coins filled the sack to the brim, and then continue to pour onto the floor as it over flowed with coins. If he could, he would have smirked at the gasp of surprise the old man had made, along with those of the family.

The coins finally stopped multiplying after a few long minutes of seeping into the dirt floor beneath the sack. That coinage was more than enough to see them through this life time and the next, maybe even a couple more. They would have plenty to eat and would no longer have to live on the out skirts of this impoverished village. They could even afford to keep servants should they choose to do so.

His end of the bargain complete he turned to look at Kagome, who was still within the arms of her mother. The awe in her eyes dimmed almost immediately as she understood what was expected of her. For a frightening second, Sesshomaru thought she would refuse to go with him; instead she did her best to give him a reassuring smile and nodded at him. She truly was an odd girl if she was trying to reassure _him_, when he was the one that was ripping her away from all that she knew and loved. Again, he questioned himself on whether or not he was willing to emotionally harm this girl for his own sake. He shook his fur with an annoyed huff, this girl was going to give him endless restless nights. He could already tell.

"Momma," the girl began, cutting his musings short. "I'm glad you're better now…but I made a promise to Sesshomaru here." She said nodding his direction. He noticed the old man instantly narrowed his eyes in suspicion and scowl. This did not bode well.

"What exactly did you promise Kagome?" he heard the mother whisper warily.

"I would help your family," Sesshomaru interrupted. "And in return Kagome would come and live with me," he did his best to keep the biting growl out of his voice but from the frightened look on the woman's face, he hadn't succeeded. Besides that, already were human words beginning to become difficult to form. Steeling himself, he forced his voice to go on- despite the sharp pain on his throat and tongue.

"I have…kept my end… of the…bargain… now Kagome…must come."

"Oh, no." her mother whimpered has her arms tightened around her daughter as much as they could in her weakened state.

"It'll be alright momma," Kagome assured calmly as she ran her fingers through her mother's hair in an effort to calm her. "Sesshomaru is nice. He did heal you after all. You don't need worry. I'll be safe with him, right Sesshomaru?" she asked turning to face him again, silently begging him to help her calm her mother, though a part of him wondered if she asked for her own sake as well.

"I promise it… Kagome will be…safe with me…always."

The woman's eyes shone with tears unshed, but she nodded her acquiesce. "A promise is a promise and I didn't raise my daughter to be an oath breaker," she sniffled quietly before continuing. "I love you. Be safe and take care of yourself alright?"

"Yes, momma," Kagome whispered brokenly, a stray tear coming out of the corner of her eye.

"No!" the old man shouted suddenly. "I won't allow Kagome to be taken by this, this demon." He moved to draw Kagome behind him, as if to shield her with his own frail body. The fool, like he would ever be a match for him.

"Grandpa, look at what he did for momma, as well as you and Souta. How can you say such horrible things about him when he hasn't done a thing to make you doubt him so?" Her words, though scolding, had no bite in them. She was not trying to hurt or disrespect him, only reprimand him.

Perhaps it was the stubborn glint in her eyes, or maybe it was the look Sesshomaru was giving him-the look that said Kagome was coming with him no matter what. Whatever it was the old man reluctantly nodded. Kagome smiled and embraced him.

"I still don't agree with this," he said angrily. "And if he does anything to harm you in any way I will curse him with my last breath," he finished as he narrowed his eyes threateningly at the silver dog.

"Whatever you say grandpa," Kagome smiled. "I'll miss you," she said, making the old man's face soften as he tightened his hold around her.

"And I you, little one."

After a long moment, Kagome broke away from her grandfather with a kiss on the cheek then proceeded to tell her tearful mother and brother- who was attempting to put on a brave front- goodbye. She turned towards Sesshomaru and did her best to smile at him, but he could tell that her heart just wasn't in it. Nodding minutely, Sesshomaru led them both outside.

As soon as they had cleared the small curtain that served as their door, Sesshomaru knelt down on the rich soil. Understanding at once what he expected of her, Kagome straddled his back-carefully holding onto his fur. Kagome turned back to see her family at the doorway, her mother being supported between her brother and grandfather; keeping the tears at bay for her sake, as much as theirs, Kagome smiled and waved goodbye as Sesshomaru trotted into the forest once more.

They were well away from the small hut when Sesshomaru felt the girl bury her face in his fur. Were it not for his enhanced hearing he wouldn't have been able to her soft, heart broken cries.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I know I promised regular updates, but I ended up having a falling out with my step dad. I had to move into a close friends house so it took me a while to get accustomed to the change. But seeing as this environment is some much more relaxed than at my family's house, I should be able to dish chapters out a lot quicker.

It took a long while- after all, it was not an easy thing to be taken from one's family- but Kagome was finally able to stop her crying and calm down. She almost immediately felt guilty. Sesshomaru was glancing back at her every few moments or so- obviously worried about her. Whether it was worry for her well being or worried that she would try and run because she was so distraught, either way, she felt terrible for making him worry. Perhaps an apology was in order? She didn't even get the chance to voice one when he spoke.

"Are you afraid?" he growled in a low timbre.

"No," she replied almost instantly. For it was the truth, she hadn't been afraid of him since the very first moment that she stumbled upon him full of blood. He simply hadn't given her a reason to do so.

"Good," he replied after a moment and said nothing more. Kagome thought once more about apologizing for her behavior but stopped. She wasn't going to apologize for missing her family and if he didn't understand that then it was just too bad! Still though…She didn't think she was being fair to him. He really was just concerned for her, or at least he made it seem that way- she still wasn't sure what he really thought of her, since he almost never said anything- and he healed her mother. There wasn't any possible way for her to repay the kindness he had done for her. She would have been devastated if her mother had died.

Kagome sighed quietly and chanced a glance to her side. The blur of trees and rocks moving so quickly almost immediately made her dizzy. They were going even faster than yesterday's trip! Trying desperately to blink away her sudden vertigo, Kagome quickly averted her eyes from the nauseating scenery and focused on the silver tufts of fur that were gripped tightly in her hand. If she never traveled like this again, it would be too soon. A day and a half of travel and they _still_ hadn't reached Sesshomaru's home…wherever that was.

Sesshomaru had stopped a few times to hunt for her and to give her a few hours sleep, but other than that they had kept riding on. Yet again another kindness Sesshomaru had done for her. She was positive that he knew she could hunt for herself and he had hunted for her anyways…Thinking on that now she felt a little awful for thinking about him so ungratefully. She was just so confused though! Why did he need her to come live with him in the first place? Was he that lonesome or was there something that she was missing?

Farther away sat Kagura, glaring into her scrying bowl-the tool that, when filled with water, allowed her to see anything her heart desired- anger might have marred another woman's beauty, but any who might have looked on would agree that anger only made her more becoming.

Three more years, _three more years, _just three more and Sesshomaru would be hers. Who did this little village _nobody_ think she was to interfere with her spell. The only reason she had left the chance for him to escape her spell in the first place was because her father demanded it be so. He claimed that she was killing humans too quickly, even for their kind. She had thought she found a way around that little order by making him so fearsome looking that no sane girl would have gone near that monstrosity, though she hadn't planned for one so obviously touched in the head to approach her beloved.

Why should they have to bend their ways be cautious for _humans_. Her people were the ancient ones. The one's who ruled the earth long before the filthy humans had ever come into existence. She wasn't a sorceress has her love obviously assumed. No, she was much more powerful than that. If only her cursed father hadn't interfered! She would smite that little wench where she stood had she been able to-her father's own magic prevented her from interfering as such.

She continued watching the little ink-haired cur through her scrying bowl. She wasn't anything special. Kagura was sure that the first sign of Sesshomaru turning feral the girl would turn tail and abandon her promise to Sesshomaru. Just in case, there must be something that she could do to alter the playing field a bit. She hated losing so.

Her ruby red eyes thoughtfully made their way over to the shelves that hung by her work table. Everything from, powerful artifacts to simple mundane ingredients littered those shelves. She fingered few vials that glimmered with a multitude of colors and the promise of a painful death. A poison would make quick work of the little wretch and the right poison would ensure that she spent days suffering for interfering with her spell. But that would be too simple…Shaking her head, she then turned and grabbed and amulet. Immediately a menacing light shown from the black opal at the center of the disk, a curse would also make quick work of the girl, but it still lacked that certain something… No this girl needed something that would tear her apart from the inside. Something that would make her betray Sesshomaru in the worst possible way so that she would hate herself, but also to ensure that Sesshomaru would never again trust another woman but herself.

Did she even own anything like that? She tapped her full bottom thoughtfully as she looked over the items at her disposal. Her eyes fell on a candle. A simple tallow candle that had absolutely no magical properties of its own, she only used candles of that sort when she stayed up late reading. It was so simple…and yet…it was so perfect.

Big. That was the only thought to enter Kagome's mind as Sesshomaru approached the large castle. How could such large building even exist? Not only was it huge, but the stone was a kind Kagome had never seen before. It shone like silver whenever the sun touched it. Not only did the windows hold more glass than she had ever seen, but the glass itself came in an array of colors the depicted pictures as well. What a magnificent sight it made! This couldn't possibly be where Sesshomaru was headed!

But low and behold, Sesshomaru had trotted right up to the large wooden doors-many times bigger than herself or even Sesshomaru- and pushed the heavy wooden doors aside. The inside was decorated so marvelously-on every wall hung the most life like and beautiful paintings she had ever seen, every surface of furniture glittered so that Kagome was positive that it had been dipped in gold, the tables that lined the walls held pottery so beautiful and fragile looking that she was sure they would break if she even attempted to handle one- Kagome was sure this had to be a palace for some king. Why else would something this fine exist?

She had been so busy gaping at all the finery that she had failed to notice that Sesshomaru was laying on the ground, patiently waiting for her to get off of him. Apologizing profusely Kagome leapt off his large furry form and followed him as he wondered down one of the halls.

"Is this all yours?" Kagome asked continuing to stare open-mouthed as they kept passing buy knew things. As soon as she got the chance she was going to explore every inch of this castle. She snapped out of her small trance when she heard an odd noise from Sesshomaru, she could have sworn it was the sound of him laughing at her. She narrowed her blue eyes at him as she tried to discern whether he really had laughed at her or not. Unfortunately, she was that great at reading emotions on a dog's face.

"Of course this all belongs to me, silly girl. Where else would it have come from?" Kagome gaped at him in surprise. Not because of the castle-though that was a shocker- but his voice seemed to come easier to him in a way that it hadn't before.

"Your voice!" Kagome near shouted. Her eyes widened when she heard her voice echoing back at her-telling her exactly how loud she had been. She covered her mouth with an 'eep' and blushed, but his voice really had changed. His voice was still very gruff but it didn't hold that animalistic quality anymore nor did it sound like he was in pain.

"It is the castle," Sesshomaru replied easily. "I am tied to this place. The farther I am from my home the more difficult it is to retain those human aspects of myself." He watched bemusedly as Kagome's brows wrinkled in thought. 'Human aspect?' she thought puzzled.

"My lord," a new voice cut in, startling her. It was a man. He was the first person she had seen in the great palace. For some reason she found herself surprised that he was human. To be honest, she had expected the castle to be run by magic or even strange creatures. Now she felt a bit silly for thinking that.

"Kagome," Sesshomaru said nudging her shoulder with his nose. She looked up, from the way they were looking at her she guessed that Sesshomaru had been trying to get her attention for a while now.

"Sorry," Kagome said blushing profusely. "What was that?" Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at her. She noticed that his teeth were a tad more visible then they were a moment ago. Seemingly, he didn't like repeating himself.

She watched, a bit warily- she would admit, as he closed his eyes and shook his head. An audible huff could be heard, like one would here from someone who was watching a particularly annoying child and was trying not to lash out at it. She glanced at the strange man, hoping to see if he could help her out a bit, but no, he only stood there grinning at her like she was the most amusing thing he'd ever seen. Great, Sesshomaru that she was annoying and the stranger thought she was an idiot, albeit an amusing one.

"Miroku is to show you to your rooms and give you dinner. I will see you in the morning for breakfast. Do not get lost," and with that Sesshomaru was on his way. Kagome watched in disbelief as he rounded a corner and disappeared into one of the endless hallways of the manor.

"That's it!" Kagome said angrily. Miroku would later swear that she practically had steam coming out of her ears. "He's just brings me to his castle in the middle of who knows where and all he says is 'don't get lost'! Who does he think he is?"

"Don't be too hard on him," Miroku stated looking as calm as he could, he was trying so hard not keel over from laughing. He hadn't seen a girl this fiery in a long time.

"It has been a long time since he's actually had any sort of real company and I'm afraid he's a bit out of touch with his socializing skills." _If he had any to begin with_, Miroku thought to himself, _that guy is as stiff as they come._ The comment did seem to mollify the girl a bit, just a bit.

"I guess that's alright," Kagome sighed, she was still annoyed, however. Kagome didn't _want_ to be in this place all by herself, no matter how magical it was. She started when Miroku chuckled quietly. "You've a happy nature, don't you?" Kagome said with narrowed eyes. She didn't enjoy being laughed at.

"Of course, how else is one expected to keep his sanity in a place so dreadfully boring," he said with a sigh and a dramatic sweep of his hand. "But never mind that, my lady. You must be tired after such a long journey, hungry too. If you will follow me I will show you to your chambers and have some dinner sent up to you."

"Oh, you really don't have to call me 'lady', Kagome will do just fine please," she said blushing and waving her hands in front of her. Honestly, the thought of someone like her being called a lady was almost laughable.

"Nonsense," Miroku grinned. He grabbed one of her still flailing hands and kissed it, forcing another blush on Kagome. "In the eyes of a simple servant such as me, a beautiful lady like you will always be considered nobility."

"Just show me to my room please," Kagome flustered as she snatched her hand back. She couldn't tell if he was really flirting with her or if he was just making fun of her. Either way, she was not at all comfortable with his familiarity. Although, she was a little relieved to see that he simply laughed and hadn't taken her actions to heart. He did seem like a nice enough person after all-for all his flirting ways- and if Sesshomaru was going to continue leaving her alone than she should be glad of some type of company.

Silence ensued as she followed him down a hallway. She was once again struck by how _large _this place was. She was sure that all the houses in her village put together would not even make up a third of this grand place.

"Wait a second," Kagome said suddenly as they rounded yet another corner. "Both you and Sesshomaru said _rooms,_ as in more than one. That was a mistake, right?" Kagome stated looking thoroughly confused.

"No, my lady, you have several rooms that are completely for your own use," he said coming to a sudden halt-so sudden that Kagome nearly crashed into him. He pulled out a key from the pockets of his breeches and unlocked the door. "And these are your rooms," he said with a grin.

Kagome walked in to what appeared to be a large sitting room. A small comfortable looking couch faced an ornately decorated fireplace with large stone pillars. A small cozy fire was already alit in the hearth. On the other side of the room was fairly sized table with chairs as well. She noticed three more doors…inside of her room. Why on earth would one person need three rooms inside of another room?

Taking pity on her, Miroku decided to explain each room, opening the doors as he described them. This one is your bedroom, with a fireplace of its own as well as a book shelf and a writing desk-should you need one. This one is a changing room and is already filled with whatever garments you might need. Should any of clothing not fit properly, please let me know and the problem will be fixed immediately. This one is your bathing room," he said walking in.

A large stone tub sat against the wall in the far end of the room. A table stood next to the tub with an assortment of bottles of soap. A shelf sat against the wall on the left side of the room filled with towels and robes. Large copper pipes came from the wall and sat over either side of the tub though they weren't pointed toward the tub. Instead they pointed straight upwards. Kagome noticed to cords- a blue cord wrapped around the left pipe and a red cord tied around the other.

"If you pull the blue cord down you get cold water. Pull the red cord and you get hot water. I do have to warn you though, when I say the water is hot, I mean it is boiling hot. I can't even begin to tell you how many times I have burnt myself and I would hate to see your lovely skin marred by something as silly as a bathing accident," he grinned as she glared at him.

Kagome was nearly dizzy from the onslaught of information. She'd never seen anything like this. The room inside another room she could wrap her head around. It made sense for a palace as large as this to provide their guest with a sitting room and even a bathing room. But this water system was amazing! She'd only ever heard of this from the occasional traveling merchant. Kagome would never have imagined that she would actually get to experience it. Wasn't this a little too much? Someone with her background simply didn't get to have rooms this nice. Maybe she should ask for a smaller room?

Noticing the panic settling in her eyes Miroku decided to intervene before she could begin asking silly questions. "These rooms were specially chosen for you by Lord Sesshomaru. He might not outwardly express it but he is most excited to see how you react to your new rooms. I hope they are to your liking, if only for milord's sake." Miroku may have stretched the truth a tad, but Sesshomaru _would_ be annoyed if Kagome requested to switch rooms. He couldn't allow that to happen because, frankly, the more they got along the more Miroku himself would benefit from this. He watched a touch smugly- he would admit, as the girls features flitted from surprise to guilt.

"I like the rooms, I do!" she said vehemently. "This is just a lot to take in for me," she sighed and gave him a tired smile. Miroku returned the smile with one of his own. He could relate, he remembered the first time he had come to serve Sesshomaru…so many years ago.

Kagome didn't know what to make of this man. One minute he was laughing at her, the next flirting, and now the saddest smile she'd ever seen was upon his face. She wondered he was remembering to make him look so sad. His violet eyes turned up and looked into her own blue ones; she wanted to blush from invading such a personal moment. A smile so bright and mischievous appeared that it made Kagome wondered whether or not she had imagined the sadness.

"My lady," he said taking her hand. She didn't know why, but she was instantly suspicious. "I completely understand how overwhelmed you must feel right now. Should you require help bathing, I should be most glad to assist you. Scrubbing your back, for example," he said wagging his eyebrows at her.

Kagome gasped in outrage and swung her arm at him. The resounding smack echoed in the room. Miroku simply smiled and sighed, rubbing his reddened cheek. "Forgive me lady, but has been a long time since I've seen blue eyes as lovely as yours. I could not help but be bewitched by their beauty," he said apologetically, hoping to mollify her anger. She glared at him a few more seconds but finally seemed to forgive him. He sighed in relief. He really didn't want another slap. She wasn't nearly as weak as she seemed.

Leading her back into the sitting room he prepared to take his leave. "Dinner will be up momentarily. Breakfast will be here as well, but after tonight, dinner will be held in the dining hall where milord will join you." And with that he left the room.

Looking around the room, feeling awkward and out of place amongst all this finery. Kagome decided to explore a bit. Remembering that Miroku had mentioned a shelf full of books she wandered into the bedroom. She was delighted by the sight of the book shelf. She had expected small shelf, but it nearly took up a whole wall all by itself. She nearly laughed at herself then. She should have known better than to expect anything to be small in this place.

She'd never seen so many books in one place before. Really the only books she ever saw were the ones that her teacher had provided her with and the ones that her slightly more wealthy neighbors kindly lent her. These were much finer quality than any she'd seen. The paper was much smoother and finer than any she'd ever worked with, and the covers were so artfully decorated that Kagome was near tempted to frame them and hang them.

Resignedly deciding that she would have plenty of time to read tomorrow, Kagome went to inspect the changing room. Again, Kagome was impressed by the sheer quantity of everything. Aside from a changing screen and a large mirror, the room was filled with clothes-dresses more specifically. All of it made of such fine quality cloth that she was almost afraid to touch it for fear of ruining it. Kagome would never have been able to pay off one of these gowns at home. She'd have to admit, the thought of having to wear dresses again was a little bothersome.

Ever since her grandfather had become too weak to hunt some odd years ago, Kagome had taken to wearing men's clothing-breeches and a tunic. It was easier to move around that way, not to mention a lot more comfortable. She had gotten some odd looks from the local villagers but they all knew she was out hunting and gathering so they hadn't spoken a word about it.

She'd gotten so used to the clothing that now she felt uncomfortable at the thought of having to wear dresses again. Reaching out to the simplest dress she could see, Kagome held it to her own body and looked in the mirror. She could almost laugh at herself for how ridiculous she looked. Almost like a toad trying to wear a dolls dress. Maybe once she had a bath she wouldn't look as laughable but for now Kagome simply shook her head and put the dress back where she found it.

Stepping back into the sitting room she was surprised to find food already laid out on the table. She hadn't even heard anyone come in! Then she was hit by the most delicious smells she'd ever encountered. Forgetting about her silent guest Kagome eagerly went to explore the dishes.

A hefty serving bowl sat in the center of the table filled with beef stew. Beside it was a platter of thickly sliced bread. A crock of butter and a jar of jam sat next to the bread. Kagome noticed two pitchers and peered inside them. One was filled with wine and the other with fruit juice. Mouth watering incessantly Kagome served herself some stew and bread and immediately dug in. It wasn't until about halfway through her meal that she even remembered the fruit juice, so she poured herself some and gulped it down. Kagome was sure she looked like a pig but she was hungry and everything was so delicious that she didn't care.

When Kagome felt that she was gonna burst she put the spoon down and drowsily went in search of a night gown. Finding one Kagome forced herself to step into the bathing room. The food had made her so sleepy but she would feel terrible if she soiled the bed with her filth. Tentatively working the pipes in the bathing room Kagome filled the tub with water, being mindful of the hot water. The warm bath was so relaxing and coupled with her full stomach; Kagome nearly drowned herself by falling asleep. Scrubbing herself quickly Kagome exited the tub, dried herself off and put the night gown on and finally sank into the fluffy bed.

The soft crackling of the fire in her room quickly put her to sleep. It could not have been more than a minute later that Kagome awoke to the fire and candles suddenly being blown out. Still exhausted Kagome nearly ignored it in favor of sleeping again…until she felt someone climbing in bed with her.

Now wide awake Kagome tentatively asked, "Miroku?" She almost prayed it was the perverted servant.

"Nhhnn," was the deep and sleepy sounding response she got back. That was most definitely not Miroku. She tried to tell the man that he had the wrong rooms but the only reply she got back was a soft snore. Kagome shook the stranger to no avail, he slept like the dead.

Too annoyed to be scared now, Kagome stomped her way to the door- intent on sleeping on the sofa until she could confront the stranger in the morning, but the doors were locked. She turned the knobs this way and that and even banged on the door but it would not open.

Kagome clumsily made her way through the dark trying to find a candle, maybe she could find a key or something to let herself out, but no- those were gone as well. Kicking the ground angrily she made her way to the bed. This was her bedroom and she would be damned if she slept on the floor. For a moment she was tempted to push him off the bed and leave him to his own devices on the floor, but her mother hadn't raised her to be so rude- no matter if other people who couldn't even be bothered to walk into their own bedrooms were. Staying as far away from him as she could Kagome did her best to relax and sleep, trying to convince herself that as deeply as he slept the stranger probably wouldn't get up to harm her in her sleep. Never the less, it was a long while before she was able to fall asleep.


End file.
